


Coming Back to You

by jedi_harkness



Series: Return to Talos IV [2]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Christopher Pike Feels, Episode: s01e15-16 The Menagerie, Episode: s02e08 If Memory Serves, Episode: s02e12 Through the Valley of Shadows, F/M, Fluff and Angst, No Smut, Not Beta Read
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2020-01-31 09:57:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18588898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jedi_harkness/pseuds/jedi_harkness
Summary: Christopher Pike thought his fate was sealed, but now he's back on Talos IV and reunited with Vina. As Chris settles into his new life, he and Vina finally get to know each other. Truths are told, and understandings are reached as they take their first steps into a future together.





	Coming Back to You

**Author's Note:**

> I'm supposed to be working on 'Defying the Darkness', but in recent weeks I've fallen hard for Anson Mount's Captain Pike and was dying to write fic for him! Full disclosure: I've only seen clips and read fic of Discovery S2, so apologies if there are any mistakes. I know some people see the Vina story as ableist and problematic, but I've been enamored of 'The Cage'/'The Menagerie' since I was a kid. And frankly, if I could choose a fantasy life with Anson Mount's Pike I would! This is Pt. 2 of the Return to Talos IV series and I also have ideas for Pike/Number One (Una) fics. I haven't abandoned 'Defying the Darkness', not to worry! But Christopher Pike has grabbed me and so far he refuses to let go!
> 
> The title 'Coming Back to You' comes from the Leonard Cohen song of the same name. As I was trying to figure out what to call this story I happened upon the song and thought some of the lyrics perfectly echoed Pike's feelings for Vina.
> 
> Disclaimer: This story is based on Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry, and on Star Trek: Discovery created by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman. Star Trek and it's related characters are the property of CBS/Viacom and Paramount Pictures. This was created for entertainment purposes, and no money is being made!

Christopher Pike stood at the window watching the sunrise over Mojave, it's warm colors of golds and pinks bathing the landscape. A little smile crossed his lips at how his caretakers could so accurately recreate his thoughts and memories. The first time he visited this planet those powerful mental abilities elicited trepidation, fear, and even anger from him. At that time he had been a captive, his jailers constantly attempting to manipulate him into being the progenitor of a colony of human slaves in order to rebuild their world and save their race. And now, many years later, he had been brought back to Talos IV to stay, to live out his final years in happiness and peace. "Unfettered by his physical body," as the Keeper had told Kirk back on the _Enterprise_.

Chris glanced down at his hands and flexed his fingers. While he knew in his head he was really still in that damned chair with only a blinking light to speak with, it felt oh-so-good to move and use his voice again. He had always been active, and the only thing greater than the physical pain was the pain of thinking he would live the rest of his life immobile, silent, and slowly wasting away. He knew he had risked delta ray exposure when he went into action to save those cadets during the training cruise, and he also knew he was meeting his ultimate fate. But being the man he was, he wasn't about to let those kids die, nor step away from the path he'd chosen on Boreth all those years ago.

Chris turned his gaze back to the window and caught his reflection in the glass. At this moment he appeared younger than his true age; his hair darker with strands of gray, his skin smooth and unblemished, and he was now clad in a soft t-shirt and sleep pants. Another wry smile quirked his lips as he touched his face; this illusion of vigor and vitality was more than he expected, or could have asked for. The sun rose higher, bathing him in it's warm light. Coming back here, his body able and unbroken as he proudly wore his _Enterprise_ command gold, and seeing Vina with her smile brighter than the stars as she offered him her hand, all he could think of was _home_. And the home of his youth was where they went. He took another look around the main living area; every detail was perfect, exactly how he remembered it. This was true of the entire spread; if he felt inclined to take a ride today he knew he would find Tango and Mary Lou waiting for him in the stable.

Chris thought of Vina, who was presumably still asleep in the guest room, and his smile warmed. She hadn't expected much from him during these first days of his new life, bless her heart. She knew he would need time to adjust and he imagined it had to be difficult for her, since in the years since his captivity she'd shared a life with an illusory version of himself. But if it was she didn't let on; she was simply happy to be with him again. They spent much of their time talking about their lives since they last saw each other on _Discovery_. She mentioned how her heart broke when she had been told about his accident, and he related the details of how Spock stole the _Enterprise_ and attempted to secret him away to Talos before getting caught, even making her laugh as he recalled the moment when the court-martial had been revealed as a fabrication by the Talosians. As the days went on the conversations turned to more mundane subjects: Anecdotes from their early lives, their interests, their likes and dislikes, and such. It had been so good to just... talk like two normal people and not be tricked into living any fantasies. He was finally getting to know the real Vina, and she was not only beautiful and charming but smart. She had been a crew member on a scientific survey vessel, after all. What he said to her on _Discovery_ was true; he had often thought of her after leaving Talos, and he had always wished she'd gone with him. He hadn't cared that her true body was disfigured; despite his anger at the Talosians for their manipulations he had grown to care for Vina. And yet she wished to remain and live in an illusion. While that would be hard for most people to understand, and Chris himself was hard-pressed to understand, he honored her wish. Nonetheless the guilt he felt for leaving lingered; he wished he could have found a way save her. And now, these many years later, he was the one who got saved. And he finally got why Vina had chosen to stay here.

Chris turned back to the window and thought back on the events of the past week. He'd been both frantic and angry that Spock would try something so crazy and risk the death penalty as well as Chris' set destiny (although his former science officer couldn't have known the extent of that risk). He also felt for Kirk having to watch his friend and first officer to go trial. But knowing Kirk, if he had been in the loop he would've also been willing to risk himself. And knowing Spock, the Vulcan wouldn't have stood for that. Thankfully, it was all worth it in the end and there seemed to be no catastrophic consequences to Spock's actions. He replayed Mendez' transmission in his head; he was stunned at hearing that Starfleet was willing to suspend the general order forbidding contact with Talos IV. It seemed an act of pity on the surface, but in truth it was a sign of how well-regarded he had become. It was his final reward for all his years of service and sacrifice. Thinking on this brought a lump to his throat.

At that moment he felt a gentle hand on his back which caused him to startle, and he turned to see Vina with a sheepish smile on her face. He hadn't even heard or noticed that she'd come into the room. "Seems I'm always scaring you," she said with a giggle. Even while wearing one of his Starfleet t-shirts with shorts and a pair of warm socks she looked breathtaking.

"Sorry, I was deep in thought," Chris replied with a sheepish smile of his own.

Vina nodded in understanding. "You're still processing it all," she told him sweetly. "I was going to make breakfast, or just coffee if you'd rather," she then offered.

"I could do with some coffee," Chris said, his smile turning more sly. "Freshly-brewed protein complex," he joked.

"Ha-ha..." Vina said dryly, heading for the kitchen to prepare their drinks in the coffee maker.

Chris watched her fondly. "Nice that we can laugh about it, now," he said.

Vina paused after turning on the coffee maker, her back to him. "You're not still angry? About before?" she asked worriedly.

"If I was, I wouldn't have come," Chris replied, closing the distance between them and gently taking hold of her upper arms. "We might be living in an illusion, but... the real life that was ahead of me would have been no life at all," he murmured, catching the scent of her blond hair.

Vina melted against him, and then she turned to face him with moist eyes. "I'm glad you came back," she said softly, pressing closer and slowly winding her arms around his waist. "I hated the thought of you being confined to that..." her voice faded as she sniffled.

Chris returned her embrace, resting his chin on the top of her head. "Not anymore, at least not here. Spock knew what's how it would be, that's why he did what he did," he said.

"I know he's a Vulcan, but I could swear he did it out of love," Vina said, a little smile coming to her lips. "You're just so damn lovable."

 _I can't help but love you..._ Vina's words from before came to Chris' mind and he closed his eyes. She had feared he would hate her because the Talosians had selected him for personifying her dreams of the perfect man, and he couldn't find it in himself to do so. She had lived alone and in fear for so long, it was no wonder why she had clung to him like a lifeline. She had told him on _Discovery_ that her life with his illusory self had kept her sane. She might not have been alone, but she had been living a dream life with a dream man. The more Chris thought on this the more he wondered if he could live up to that dream.

"And it seems you're deep in thought again," Vina murmured with a soft chuckle as the coffee finished brewing. "Go and sit, I'll pour," she then offered smiling as she released him.

"Alright," Chris said, a smile on his lips as he took a seat at the breakfast nook. He took a moment to rest his chin on his hand and take in the sunrise once more.

"I get why you love your home so much; it's beautiful here," Vina said smiling as she brought over their coffees.

"It was a magical place to grow up in. At least I thought so when I was a kid," Chris said with a chuckle as he accepted the mug she passed to him. His nose caught the scent of the hot coffee and he hummed in approval.

Vina sat across him and then carefully sipped from her mug. "Mmm, very good," she said wryly. Of course they both knew the coffee would be brewed perfectly, it didn't mean they couldn't enjoy it.

Chris took a sip of his own and savored the taste, and he remembered fondly how much Ensign Tilly loved coffee. He wondered how the crew on _Discovery_ were doing, if they were alright and safe. And he realized the one drawback to living on Talos; he would never see his friends from home and Starfleet, and his _Enterprise_ family, ever again. At least not their real selves. Of course his memories of them could come to life any time he wished, but it just wouldn't feel the same.

"Are you okay, Chris?" Vina asked in concern.

Chris' first instinct was to say he was, but he couldn't bring himself to lie. Not when Vina was right there and so open and caring. He sighed and set his mug on the small dining table. "I guess it's starting to... sink in. This is my life now. From here on it's just the two of us and the Talosians. Not that I dislike the company, but..."

"But you'll never get to see your friends again, not in person, anyway," Vina said sympathetically.

Chris nodded somberly. He felt terrible just thinking it, much less putting it into words. His being here was an unexpected act of generosity and he didn't want to seem ungrateful.

"It's not wrong to to miss them, to miss your old life. It's perfectly natural," Vina assured him kindly, reaching over to take his hand.

Chris gladly accepted the gesture, lightly rubbing his thumb over her skin. "Thank you for understanding. You've been nothing but understanding... about everything," he said.

"I know you need a period of adjustment. I can't expect you to... rush headlong into anything," Vina replied, a blush coming to her cheeks.

"What happened before... we might not have lived in reality, but the feelings were real. I know that's true of how you felt, and still feel now. My feelings back then were," Chris told her.

Vina nodded. "You were willing to stay back then, mainly to save your ship and your crew," she said.

"Yes, that's true. But I meant it when I said I was attracted to you," Chris replied, a little smile crossing his lips. "I still am. When I saw you again on _Discovery_... well, not counting when I jumped back and almost fell on my ass..." he went on as he and Vina softly chuckled. "...I thought my heart would burst out of my chest."

Vina smiled sweetly. "It was the same for me; even though I'd been living with an illusion of you... I was so happy to see the real you again. Your hair was a little grayer, but you were still so handsome. You took my breath away," she said softly, and Chris was touched by how vulnerable she was in that moment.

Vina had another sip of her coffee and bit her lip for a moment before speaking again. "Chris... I want to ask you something about before, and it's alright if you don't want to say. But in your heart of hearts, who would you have chosen?"

"Vina..." Chris began.

Vina cut him off by taking his hand again. "I'm not judging, and I won't be angry. It's that..." she swallowed. "I've loved hearing about your travels, and I notice certain things as you tell me your stories. The way you talk about the people you cared... still care, about." Chris swallowed hard and she gave him a reassuring smile. "I remember how I didn't like Number One, Una, at first, and I'm sure the feeling was mutual. But when she set that phaser to explode, was willing to die rather than let the Talosians have their way, she earned my respect. I was also sure that deed was done as much out of love as out of duty," she said.

Chris was quiet, slumping a little as he looked down at the table. "Truth be told I thought that at the time. I-I was always fond of Una, even had a little crush on her when we were at the Academy. I wasn't entirely sure the feeling was mutual until our... previous visit here. And I confess that when she put that phaser on overload, I realized I was in love with her. Maybe I should have done something about it when we got back to the ship... but I was the Captain, and she was my first officer. We were all about duty back then. If we had decided to have a relationship she would've been transferred, and I-I didn't want her gone. And also..." he bit his lip. "I guess it's alright for me to tell you, but I knew this would happen to me."

Vina gaped. "What? Y-you knew the accident was going to happen?" she asked, shocked.

Chris nodded. "I can't explain how, but I saw my future. I knew what was in store for me, but at the time the entire galaxy was at stake. If I hadn't chosen to stick to this path, everything would have been lost," he explained.

Vina was quiet as his words sank in. "You put everyone's needs above your own, like you did back then," she said. "And that's why you and Una... never happened? Besides devotion to duty?"

"I didn't want to be a burden to her when... when the time came," Chris murmured. "I never told her this, and we never spoke about what we went through here. We just went on with the job like we always did. We made a great team, and I'll always cherish our friendship, but there are times... I wish we could have been more," he admitted softly.

Vina listened, and then gently squeezed his hand. "Chris, there's no reason to feel guilty for how you felt or still feel. I'd be naive to think I was the only woman you ever cared about," she said.

"I can't help feeling bad that... that I can't give you all of myself. Not now. You've lived with your ideal of me all these years, I-I don't know if I'll ever meet that ideal," Chris said.

"There's no standard you have to meet. Yes, I lived with the Christopher Pike that remained in my heart, and it was wonderful," Vina began, and then she smiled. "But now I'm getting to know the real Christopher Pike, to know what's really in your heart. And it's as good a heart as I remember," she finished.

Chris returned her smile, feeling grateful that they could clear the air. "Now that I'm getting to know your heart, I'm realizing how good it truly is," he replied.

The two of them fell into a comfortable silence, drinking their coffee and watching the sun climb higher when they weren't sharing tender smiles. "So.." Chris began. "You're really okay with taking things slow?"

Vina nodded. "As slow as you need," she said smiling.

A warmth bloomed in Chris' chest and he suddenly felt as shy as a green cadet. "If I were to... court you, would you be good with that?" he asked with a little smile.

Vina's eyes widened a little. "You wish to court me, Captain?" she asked, and Chris felt a spike of worry until she beamed. "Yes, I would be very good with that."

Chris grinned as they linked hands once again. "Um, I remember the last time we had a picnic it was... awkward. How would you feel about a do-over?" he offered.

"I think a picnic sounds lovely," Vina replied sweetly.

Chris' smile warmed along with his heart as he brought her hand to his lips and lightly kissed it. Yes, it would take take time for him to adjust to this new normal and for him and Vina both to adjust to this new dynamic in their complicated relationship. There were sure to be bumps in the road, but so long as they understood and cared for each other, they would be alright. They had their benevolent caretakers, and more importantly, they had each other. He had thought a dark future was ahead of him, but now it shone as brightly as Vina's eyes and the Mojave sunrise combined. For years he hated fate for what it had in store for him. But now, in this moment, he was thankful that what he believed to be his curse had turned into a blessing.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on Twitter and/or Tumblr @jedikat71!


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